The tightrope of finding school-life balance in high school

By Hayden Coleman

April 16, 2026

Youthcast Media Group® 

Accomplishing work-life balance can be a challenge at any age, and research since the COVID-19 pandemic has shown it’s only gotten harder. But forming good habits and learning to maintain boundaries doesn’t happen overnight, so starting early and preparing in high school can help in a professional career down the road. 

“Our brains are amazing, but they're also really lazy, so once they start to operate in a certain way, they really don't like to change,” says Davina Abujudeh, a licensed clinical social worker who works with young people in schools and adults at her private practice, Chesapeake Bay Psychological Services in Stevensville, Maryland. 

“If you have always operated from a standpoint of ‘I am busy and overwhelmed and I'm always stressed and that's just how I do things,’ then the chances of you continuing that as an adult are pretty high,” Abujudeh says. 

Abujudeh says that reflecting on the impact of a high-stress lifestyle is a good place to start spotting habits like overworking or procrastination. Identifying those behaviors can be the first step to knowing what to improve. 

Kathleen Glynn Sparrow, the founder and General Manager of The College Coaches, a college admission and high school counseling company, has decades of experience working with students. She’s learned that there’s more to success than academics.

“You want to be challenged, but if you have too much on your plate - whether that's too many advanced courses or too many hours on the job -your mental health goes down, physical health goes down, and your grades go down. There's no upside to that,” she said.

Many students may choose to take advanced courses to “get ahead,” or push themselves as a result of familial or internal pressure.  Others may not have the luxury of considering leisure time or balance outside of school because they need to work to help support their families. There is a cost to students’personal lives and relationships, preventing them from spending time with friends or family, or just relaxing and doing things they enjoy.

“Part of the problem…is that prioritizing school over every other aspect of life is so normalized,” says Natalie Hatchuel, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. The high school was ranked fifth in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Public High Schools.

Expectations for students to excel academically, juggle multiple clubs and extracurriculars, and get admitted to top universities are societal, and rooted in the belief that if students don’t excel in school, they will never excel anywhere. This belief can cause  a “hurried childhood” for students from lower and middle income families. This becomes increasingly challenging to combat, because these children may face pressure from their families, but they have little support. 

This is even more difficult for students that have to work to support their families or themselves. “I prioritize my studies and my job before any other activities,” said Thomas Weilds, a senior at Annandale High School. 

Glynn Sparrow says that having a job in high school can be beneficial, since these responsibilities show colleges that students can achieve academic success even when juggling multiple things. 

“Their [jobs are] valuable to them as people, and they're valuable as far as part of their resume or part of what they're presenting if they're applying to colleges,” says Mark Vitelli, a school counselor at AHS. 

“I know that many students have jobs to help support their families or even themselves,” added Ingrid Puna, another school counselor at AHS. 

However, it can be hard for students to find a balance between studies, a job, and extracurriculars. “The biggest thing is keeping track of their [students] different responsibilities, and then not getting behind because it's easy to go to school, then go to work, and just never find time to do homework,” says Vitelli. 

Not being able to balance work, school, and extracurriculars can have significant long-term effects on mental and physical health. Abujudeh says she sees a bevy of similar symptoms in students and young adults in the workforce including things like insomnia, digestive issues, anxiety and panic attacks. Sometimes, these are what she calls psychosomatic, where the brain may not even recognize the anxiety, but the body feels it and expresses it.

“It's crazy how similar the impact of that is for kids and adults,” Abujudeh says. “It kind of becomes a cycle.”

The benefits of a balanced work or school life and personal life are numerous. In the short term, having work-life harmony helps with organization, productivity and motivation. However, in a long term perspective, school-life balance can help adolescents plan for the future.

Students with a strong balance between school and outside activities often have a better understanding of their future goals, with 76% reporting that they knew what career they wanted to pursue, according to a study by Pearson.

Hatchuel, the junior in Alexandria, says being organized gives her confidence and allows her to participate in more extracurriculars while still maintaining her mental health. She plays field hockey and knows that she needs to plan for being tired and unable to do a lot of studying after practices.

“To set boundaries and be able to shut down when I feel overwhelmed,” she says, “time management is the main thing. I know when I won't be able to do schoolwork— after long practices.” 

Abujudeh recommends another strategy to help students maintain balance: Set manageable goals everyday, and concentrate on one goal at a time. 

“Just across the board to everyone, take it easy on yourself,” Abujedeh said. “Do what you need to fill your cup, because we all really need that right now.”

Hayden Coleman is a freshman at Annandale High School, one of Youthcast Media Group’s journalism class partners.